Southport's Pequot Library Hosts Adult & Children's Programs In June

The following two releases are from Pequot Library:

FAIRFIELD, CT — Pequot Library kicks off the summer with a slew of exciting programs for adults, all of which are free with the exception of the Southport Garden Stroll fundraiser on June 2. This fundraiser raised $50,000 and drew 800 participants last year. In addition, the library unveils its newest exhibition–The Book Beautiful: Selections from the Private Press Movement–with an Opening Reception on June 22 at 6:00 p.m. The library also launches its new three-part Under the Arches Summer Music Series on June 30 at 6:00 p.m. with the well-regarded Horszowski Trio.

The Southport Garden Stroll starts with a June 1 (6:00 p.m.) Champagne & Canapé Kickoff sponsored by TV host, realtor, author and Mar Jennings and held at a private harborside home. Join Marisa Marcantonio, a creative strategist whose work focuses on transforming luxury home brands and the author of a widely read design blog, Stylebeat. A resident of Southport, she will discuss what makes this part of Connecticut well-suited for beautiful interiors and landscaping.

The Southport Garden Stroll comes the following day, June 2, and runs in shifts from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; the library wishes to recognize and thank premier sponsor On the Harbor real estate. Featuring eight of Southport’s finest private gardens, this self-guided walking tour starts at the heart of Southport Village at Pequot Library. Attendees wind their way through a floral adventure in an idyllic seaside New England neighborhood. The library also presents a companion program at 8:30 a.m.: a talk with Connecticut’s Historic Gardens President Jill Hogan.

Also on June 7, tune in at 4:00 p.m. for a digital author talk with Dr. Mike Rucker on his book The Fun Habit: How the Disciplined Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life. He’ll speak about how you can build having fun into an actionable and effortless habit and why doing so will help you become a healthier, more joyful, more productive person. This talk is produced in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium.

On June 8 at 6:00 p.m., the library holds a Meet the Author with Eric Jay Dolin, the author of fifteen books, including Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America, which was chosen as one of the best nonfiction books of 2007 by the Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe. His most recent book is A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America’s Hurricanes, which was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and chosen as one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post, Booklist, Library Journal, and the editors at Amazon.

The library hosts a docent-led walking tour of historic Southport on June 10 at 10:00 a.m. Step back in time to a bygone era. Learn about the harbor, onion fields, taverns, and the many families who once lived here. The cost is $10 per person, and space is limited.

Educator and speaker Eric Chandler will lead three lunchtime educational talks about Connecticut’s role in the Revolutionary War starting on June 13 at 1:00 p.m.. Chandler has spoken at libraries and museums across New England, paying particular attention to the minutiae of Connecticut’s military contributions and participation. This event will mark the kickoff, with further dates to follow. Registration capped at ten participants per session. $75.00 for all three classes in advance, or $25.00 for each individual meeting. $5.00 off for members of the library. Interested in becoming a member? The three meetings for this series will take place on: June 13, July 11, and August 8.

June 16 at 2:00 p.m. kicks off a new library tradition: Bloomsday Celebration. Across the globe,
Bloomsday has become a day of celebrating renowned Irish writer and poet James Joyce. In his brilliant 1922 novel Ulysses, June 16 is the day Leopold Bloom meets his eventual wife, Nora Barnacle. Enjoy a conversation with Fordham University Chair of Irish Studies and Joyce scholar Keri Walsh and award-winning artist and playwright Brian Whelan.

The library is holding a docent informational session on June 20 at 10:30 a.m. Join staff members and current volunteers to learn more about the variety of volunteer options available. Docents will be trained in how to lead tours of the history of the library building, gain skills in how to lead interactive tours for K-12 school group students, as well as the history of Southport village. Contact Adult Programs Manager Charlie McMahon via email at mcmahon@pequotlibrary.org for more information.

The Book Beautiful: Selections from the Private Press Movement exhibition opens on June 22, at 6:00 p.m. The Private Press Movement was an offshoot of the Arts and Crafts Movement and flourished around the turn of the 19th century. Led by William Morris, its adherents rejected modern, mechanized book production in favor of exquisitely crafted texts and bindings produced using traditional techniques. The Book Beautiful explores this rich period in book design, highlighting fine examples from Pequot Library’s Special Collections. The opening reception runs from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., with a gallery tour led by Special Collections Librarian Cecily Dyer at 6:30 p.m.

Related to the new exhibition, on June 24 at 2:00 p.m., the library hosts a program called The Book
Beautiful Today: The Resilience of Traditional Book and Letter Arts. This conversation with Jerry Kelly and Jesse Marsolais focuses on why traditional bookmaking practices continue to flourish, and the historic works that inspire them. The event will include a printing demonstration and a keepsake for attendees.

Also related to The Book Beautiful, mark your calendars for Private Press: William Morris | Earthly
Paradise on June 27 at 6:00 p.m.. Learn more about the impact of foundational artist and thinker William Morris for a lecture by Victoria Hepburn, a Yale University instructor and researcher at the Yale Center for British Art. Victoria Hepburn is an expert on nineteenth-century British art and has written and taught widely on William Morris and the book arts.

Finally, the library commences its new Under the Arches Summer Music Series on June 30 at 6:00 p.m. with the Horszowski Trio. Gather on the library’s beautiful Great Lawn for an evening of music. The Horszowski Trio is an award-winning group that has traveled globally performing and promoting the great classical music of the Romantic age. This program will appeal to audiences of all ages.

Pequot Library also offers a number of ongoing monthly and weekly programs for children and adults, including a slew of children’s summer activities such as Dungeons & Dragons and Babes on a Blanket, and adult programs like the monthly Silent Book Club or Uncovering Shakespeare: From Folio to Fiction Book Group. Check their calendar for the complete schedule.

FAIRFIELD, CT — Pequot Library celebrates summer with an array of programs for children and teens, all of which are free and open to the public. On June 3 at 11:00 a.m., join Children’s Librarian Jane Manners and Plant Coco’s Garden. Come with a plant (herbs, basil, dill, cilantro, parsley or lettuce) and decorate its marker, then help prepare the soil to renew the eating garden for Coco, the library’s resident Reading Ambassador rabbit. This program is intended for children ages five-plus.

Teens entering grades 6 to 12 are invited for a Teen Advisory Board (TAB) meeting on June 7 at 4:00 p.m. TAB will meet monthly to help plan programs, give input on the Young Adult collection, and otherwise influence how the library serves teens. TAB members also assist with Pequot Library events and help with other library tasks as needed. On the same day, June 7 at 4:30 pm., experience a 30-minute, kid-friendly, interactive performance of As You Like It by the Apprentice Company of Shakespeare on the Sound. This program will appeal to ages 5 to 15.

Miss Susan’s Supper and Cookout returns on June 9 at 6:30 p.m. This community event serves as a
tribute to Children’s Librarian, Susan Ei. The Merwin Mountain Band will play live music. Attendees can play lawn games, make s’mores, and participate in the Great Pillow Fight, among other activities. They can also sign up for an official Summer Programs Attendee Card and start earning stamps by participating in events and activities. The summer program theme this year is Find Your Voice. In keeping with this theme, mark your calendars for Say Something Story Time on June 13 at 10:30 a.m; Show and Tell Storytime on June 20 at 10:30 a.m.; and Speak Up Storytime on June 27 at 10:30 a.m.

June 17 at 2:00 p.m. professional operatic soprano, Jamie Ratcliffe, leads an educational concert
experience for children. Learn about opera music, stories, and motifs as Ms. Ratcliffe explains and
performs selections from famous operas appropriate for all ages. Ratcliffe will be appearing this July as an emerging professional artist in the Vienna Summer Music Festival in Vienna.

Children ages six to ten: join the library for Make and Play Your Own Musical Instrument on June 21 at 4:00 p.m. In honor of Make Music Fairfield, children will use recycled materials to create and decorate simple musical instruments, and then bring them out to the Great Lawn to make a musical masterpiece. At 6:00 p.m. Pequot Library is excited to take part in said Make Music Fairfield, a free celebration open to anyone of any age, skill level and musical persuasion. Featured musicians include Brian Dolzani, Lackluster Brother, among others. Celebrate the summer solstice with your friends and family on the library’s Great Lawn. Please bring chairs, blankets, food and refreshments. For more information visit www.makemusicday.org.

Children in grades 3-5 can join the library on June 22 at 3:30 p.m. to make their own “book beautiful” in honor of the exhibition opening that evening, The Book Beautiful: Selections from the Private Press Movement. This zine-making workshop will teach how to plan, craft, and write your own zines that you can put out into the world for people to read.

The library commences its new Under the Arches Summer Music Series on June 30 at 6:00 p.m. with the Horszowski Trio. Gather on the library’s beautiful Great Lawn for an evening of music. The Horszowski Trio is an award-winning group that has traveled globally performing and promoting the great classical music of the Romantic age. This program will appeal to audiences of all ages.

Pequot Library also offers a number of ongoing monthly and weekly programs for children, including Dungeons & Dragons and Chess for Beginners. Looking forward, the library launches a new week-long summer program, Let’s Get Sewing!, from July 31 to August 4, as well as many programs related to the summer theme, Find Your Voice. Check the calendar on the library’s website for more information.

Pequot Library
720 Pequot Avenue
Southport, CT 06890
(203) 259-0346
fax (203) 259-5602